Wild City

To call DJ Vadim a prolific performer would be a gross understatement. On an average, the selector performs 170 to 180 shows a year and has played in over 63 countries. 64 post December, of course, since he’ll be performing for the first time in the subcontinent at Magnetic Fields Festival in Rajasthan. The producer and DJ was born in Saint Petersburg - Russia (then Leningrad, USSR), raised in London and now splits his time between Berlin and New York. In 1994, Vadim founded his own independent record label ‘Jazz Fuzz’ but signed to Coldcut’s legendary indie label Ninja Tune the following year and in 2007, moved to his current label BBE (Barely Breaking Even). His music, which combines, hip-hop, soul, reggae and electronica has led him to perform with massive names in the industry including DJ Krush, Stevie Wonder, The Roots, Prince, Public Enemy, Dilated Peoples, Kraftwerk, Fat Freddys Drop, Super Furry Animals, and Paul Weller. Vadim’s sound ranges from percussion heavy rhythms and classic hip-hop to or

Rohan Hastak started making music the traditional way – on a guitar, as part of a live band called ‘Kuru’ while he was based in Canada. But his musical identity now as Big City Harmonics is anything but traditional - inspired by pioneers of contemporary electronica such as Four Tet and Nightmares on Wax, the musician released his beat driven debut EP, called Foreword to hugely positive reviews last year. A bit like his own music which tends to rest in the zone that lies between uptempo dance and bedroom listening, Rohan Hastak’s mix is difficult to define, but unsurprisingly high on quality. He begins his assembly on an unusual note, layering Allen Ginsberg’s reflective poem - ‘The Sunflower Sutra’ over the atmospheric plinks of Air’s ‘Alone In Kyoto’. Hastak’s little patchwork tapestry of sound includes some familiar top-notch electronica acts ranging from Boards of Canada and Little Dragon to Nosaj Thing, Brian Eno and homegrown talent, Dualist Inquiry. His interpretation of Flying Lotus’s ‘Camel’ layered

Machli was formed in 2013 in a small colony called SFS in a satellite town outside of Bangalore by Aniruddh Menon, Musharraf Shaikh, Sandhya Visvanathan and Maitreya Mer, and we’ve been smitten by their sound since we stumbled upon them earlier this year. Despite only releasing a handful of singles on their SoundCloud page, the oddball bunch of art and design students caught our attention with their curiously experimental brand of music, unquestionably producing some of the most interesting and complex sounds this year. Their style tends to be contemplative, sometime melancholy, but always hopeful and affably unpretentious. Each band member brings his or her inspiration and sensibility to Machli so it’s of little wonder that the exclusive mix that they’ve created for us is so diverse. This is a heady amalgam of sounds that despite its outwardly chalk-and-cheese appearance, works surprisingly well. Machli’s mix fluctuates between a variety of music from the mellow, jazz grooves and beats of Trilok Gurtu, to

One of India's longest running and most prolific stage names; Gaurav Raina - as one half of the Midival Punditz - is a familiar name for music lovers and peers alike. In a step in a new direction, his solo project 'GRAIN', showcases a musician within a musician. Sonic textures that are deeper, darker – even melancholic – zigzagging through genres with confidence. In our eyes, some of his most technically adept and exciting output thus far. ‘Grey to Silver’ is GRAIN’s debut LP out this month via Times Music. Featuring collaborations with the likes of Karsh Kale, Monica Dogra, Anoushka Shankar, Ankur Tewari, Brooklyn Shanti and Talia Bentson - it doesn’t disappoint. Like something created by any of the worlds longest standing producers, Grey To Silver will want you to pat yourself on the back for sticking with it. It's beautiful, ugly and also a little bit weird. And in that vain so is his Wild City mix. In an unexpected turn from the producer it includes tracks from acts such as The Bug, Darkside, Atoms Fo

Dubai based Arnav S began learning classical music from the tender age of 3, setting a foundation for his future creativity in a wide range of musical styles. By 2004, he had composed and produced music for films, documentaries, fashion shows, video games, mobile apps, TV commercials and even corporate videos; showcasing a broad musical palette that included genres such as orchestral, blues, jazz, pop, and electronic. In 2013 he even went on to create an online marketplace for filmmakers and music composers called 909 Music; a platform to buy and sell royalty-free music for all types of media. And it didn't stop there. With his debut EP 'Running Outta Words' released on One28 Recordings in early 2014, Arnav S set the stage for his electronic music career supported by a hit remix from Sasse, which received airplay on John Digweed's Transitions Radio Show and widespread support from DJs such as Martin Landsky, Maceo Plex and even M.A.N.D.Y. Whilst his upcoming release is set to come out on Sasse's Moodmusic

It’s obvious to state that club music usually sounds best in a club, but for Delhi based AlterState - this stands especially true. Hearing tracks from any of the producer's featured in this mix, loud, in a dark room can sometimes make you feel incredibly insignificant. Fuelled by bass sounds that hit like electric shocks, modern day dubstep (trying to recreate the original take on dub inspired bass music) is quite literally at the most exciting part of its evolution. More and more labels such as SYSTEM Music (run by V.I.V.E.K who played Magnetic Fields Festival last year) are deciding to focus more and more energy on vinyl - sticking true to the philosophy of 'dub' - and salvaging a sound that would have otherwise been lost under a blanket of wobbles and machine-crafted shrillness. A long time supporter, Sudan has been always been stage side, tagging along for the ride. That is not to say, he's in any way focused on bass music. A full-time electronic music aficionado his DJ sets also revolve around some of

Born in Baghdad, raised in New Delhi, and now expanding further around the world spreading his message of cross-cultural understanding through the common denominator of music - Mohammed Abood a.k.a. DJ MoCity is a music entrepreneur that's been hustling his way around Asia and beyond for the past decade. With roots firmly based in hip-hop, he has entertained crowds and organised events all over the India whilst also being the creative force behind “Dubstation” at Bacardi NH7 Weekender. A stage that has tirelessly promoted genres such as dub, reggae, hip-hop, glitch-hop, dubstep and drum and bass – all on a large mainstream platform. Don't forget the Rajahs either. The last five years have seen DJ MoCity, Diggy Dang and Mr Herbalist, turn their infectious passion for reggae music into a national sensation as Reggae Rajahs. Their enthusiasm and determination has seen them create strong international bonds placing India firmly on the tight-knit reggae map whilst consciously sharing their achievements with a ve

Once the lead guitarist of Colombo based progressive jazz-rock band 'Powercut Circus', Asvajit has made a name for himself as one of the most respected and forward thinking electronic musicians to emerge out of post-war Sri Lanka. Apart from producing solid dancefloor bangers and whipping ravers into a frenzy, Asvajit is also a professional book designer, Ableton Live instructor and founder of Sri Lanka’s first independent underground record label, Jambutek Recordings. As well as this, he's also the co-founder and driving force behind the underground electronic music collective Bang Bang which has hosted a variety of events across Sri Lanka since 2010. In short, he's a bit of a Sri-Lankan legend. Playing at some of the island’s largest events, Asvajit has built a healthy following around his own original compositions as well as his energetic DJ sets which feature a broad range of genres ranging from dub techno right through to tech, house, dub, reggae, nu-jazz, funk, electro-swing and even hip-hop. Don't

20 year old Bangalore based producer Nathan Menon’s collaboration with Tom Day resulted in what is possibly the single most beautiful track released in 2013. Picked by Border Movement and the #1 artist to watch out for in 2014 completely off the back of 'Love Is Rare, "Menon displayed tremendous vocal ability: a falsetto unironically comparable to Justin Vernon or Jai Paul." Apart from the EP he made with Tom Day, Menon’s output has almost been exclusively via sporadic uploads on SoundCloud. A few mixes, collaborations and tracks that are in effect enough to have us expecting something pretty interesting from this young kid. We've spoken to him in depth and know that there's some special collaborations on the way, as well as some new production that he's hopefully going to be ready to debut by the end of the year. Until now, we've managed to source a tasty little precursor and insight into the sonic mindset of Monsoonsiren. Like Monsoonsiren himself, the mix is difficult to define, only heightened by his

Aniket Vidyadhar a.k.a Blent is a Mumbai based music producer and game designer. Having only stepped into the production limelight in the last year, his debut collection of tracks; Dusk EP - released in September last year - was a warm and delicate listen made entirely out of sampled content: "I do this thing I like to call micro-sampling. I chop everything up and manipulate it using effects. So if I take one note, assign it to the sampler and screw with it, I can make it into an instrument itself. See, I’m not the most technically proficient musician but I believe I’m musically inclined. I like collecting new sounds. I spend 90% of my time listening to music, and 10% making it." - Aniket, in an interview with NH7 On a primary listen, there's little question that his work is "deep", a word maybe thrown around a little too much these days. Yet in Vidyadhar's case, his sensibilities have a lot more to do with the actual depth and nature of his music rather than any form of sonic expression. He's long been as

MadStarBase is an international music crew with members representing USA, UK, Jamaica, and India. New Delhi based production and DJ duo Ase (Anant Ahuja) and dubSekhri (Neal Sekhri) are the Indian flag bearers, producing original cuts as well as a staggering array of bootlegs and remixes. The tag-team are also resident DJs at the House of bhane. and are known for spinning a selection of space age, future music infused with classic hip-hop, reggae and dub. Also involved in the development of bhane’s online music portal - bhane.FM, they curate mixes and playlists from DJs, producers, and music lovers around the world to give listeners a place to find fresh artists and soundtracks at any time of the day, at the click of a button. This weekend (2-4 May), MadStarBase will be performing at bhane.live - a 3 day pop-up music festival - officially launching bhane.WIP, the flagship bhane. store as well as bhane.FM. They'll be playing alongside a host of some of the nation's freshest and most exciting musicians. Some

Gold Panda, My Panda Shall Fly, Alien Panda Jury and now When Pandas Attack. What the fascination is with putting the word Panda in you band or DJ name, I can't exactly comment on. What I have observed however, is that it seems to be prevalent in acts truly pushing boundaries within their respective genre. The newest and youngest member of the 'Panda' society is When Pandas Attack - Delhi based musician and graphic designer Ankur Chauhan - someone who's recently popped up, quite literally out of nowhere and created official remixes for the likes of Sandunes and Monsoonsiren as well as uploaded a ton of tracks to his SoundCloud. In general, electronic artists bringing organic warmth to their recordings are few and far between - yet Pandas does this in a raw and clear cut manner - one of a handful of artists capable of crafting a widescreen and organic-sounding world - full of dynamic space. In line of that thought his mix comprises of a relatively down-tempo disposition: easy listening for those who’ve rea

It's Mixtaped! week here at Wild Cit and we're helping the head honcho celebrate. Tomorrow night, it would have been a year since the little 'micro party' started by Reji in one of Bandra's smallest clubs - turns one. Not only has this weekly been programmed with great fluidity, it's hosted some rather surprising never-before-seen scenesters from various pockets of Mumbai. An inspiration for our new weekly; Conference. Since stepping into the world of DJing back in 1998, Reji hasn't looked back. Today he holds a residency at venues across southern India, as one of the most prolific names in Mumbai's booming alternative and electronic music scene. Just 2 years after steppping into the game, wanting to give back, he also designed and implemented his own syllabus at some of the best DJ schools in Mumbai; training more than 500 men and women in the art of DJing, turntablism and music production. He's also proved himself time and time again as a battle DJ by winning the DMC (Pune - 2000), Times War of the DJs (

"In a movement that may surprise some, a fresh new wave of DJs and producers are bursting forth from the burgeoning house music scene in India and making an international impact." says this young man's bio. A part of the steadily growing Unmute army, Vipul is a Delhi based DJ and producer that once upon a time was heavily influenced by DJs and artists such as Darin Epsilon, Sasha, John Digweed, Robert Babicz, Chris Micall, Audiofly and Tim Davison. His skills behind the 1's and 2's in his early days quickly earned him a residency at one of Delhi’s biggest clubs allowing him to play across the entire range of house music. Soon enough, within what was a small and introvert scene, he found himself sharing the stage with the likes of Tim Davison, Dr Norman Doray, Inland Knights, Alex Niggemann and more. He's since even contributed music to global labels such as Subtract music, Sick Watona, 925 Digital, Whose Haus, Lowbit, Endemic Digital, Budenzauber, City Life, Virtual Love and 3AM Recordings. From reading t

New Delhi based Hamza has attained a reputation as a pioneer of the house music scene in India and one of the most innovative and exciting producers nationwide. Pushing a diverse and international sound, he's influenced by his strong musical background as well as growing up in India and traveling the world, living in cities such as Paris, Boston and New York. Hamza combines deep, tribal, and funky sounds with strong world music influences. This is evident when you put your ear to anything coming out on the Wind Horse Records camp - a label he set up back in 2011. From its very first release Wind Horse quickly garnered attention from notable figures such as Dubfire, Peter Kruder (Kruder & Dorfmeister), Richie Hawtin, Quentin Harris, and Tom Findlay (Groove Armada). Hamza also used the label's channels to work with some of the biggest names in world music, including Punjabi vocalist Jasbir Jassi, Tibetan singer-songwriter Yungchen Lhamo, and David Hykes, the only western vocalist specialising in Mongolian cha

Jamblu is the solo project of Peter Cat Recording Co. multi-instrumentalist Kartik Pillai. An extremely talented indivdual who's been dabbling with experimental electronic music since 2007. Late last year he dropped his debut LP 'Depth Training'. A 9-track album that brought together influences from artists such as Telefon Telaviv, Cymatic Frequencies, DJ Krush, Meditative Music, Infections and Birds whilst simultaneously creating one of the most experimental, immersive and brooding pieces of music to come out of India in a very very long time. Continuously inspired and turned on by chance music, a lot of the tracks contained glitches, manipulated overloads and feedback. Something that made it feel organic and gave it continuous flow, despite its sullen mood; "Through the LP, I wanted to represent evolution and its tangents. It's for this reason that the mood is not constant. It's an aerial and sometimes submersed perspective where whatever catches your eye will create the base of your understanding for th

Thee J Johanz is a producer, DJ and sound engineer from Holland, who has been a part of the electronic music scene, right from its early acid house days. A keen music lover, he still to this day is pushing boundaries. And one thing he's especially keen on, is the innovative electronic funk and disco sounds which were created in India in the 70s and 80s. Those who've been following the re-birth of acid house godfather Charanjit Singh will also know that he's a part of his on-stage act, controlling drums, live-mixing and generally being an all round synth geek. We first saw him DJ under his Bollywood moniker in a small basement in New Delhi. Over a year later he was back with Charanjit Singh and we asked him to play the final set of Magnetic Fields Festival. A real peak time groover, we wouldn't have had it any other way. Always exploring new frontiers, he dropped jams with complex rhythms and deep basslines, taking influence from Detroit techno, modern bass music, Latino, funky, deep, Balearic and disco. Wi

DJ Anna is one of Brazil’s finest musical exports, now recognised as one of the most exciting female tech-house/techno DJs and producers of our era. With a career spanning over 15 years, DJ Anna’s presence and ability behind the decks is truly infectious, "igniting the dancefloor and creating energy that captivates everywhere she plays". Since moving to Europe in 2008 she's taken to the road and played in territories such as Spain, Portugal, Hungary, Czech Republic and more. That's not to say, she hasn't been busy in the studio. Having released music on labels such as Christian Smith’s Tronic, Kraftek, Witty Tunes, Bla Bla and Toolroom Records - she's a producer in high demand. On remix duties, she's also worked with the likes of Pleasurekraft, Baher & Fulltone, Victor Ruiz & Alex Stein, D-Nox & Beckers, The Scumfrog, Oliver Klein & Ramon Tapia, Anderson Noise and Filthy Rich. And this weekend (01 February), she's in India. The hour long mix on hand finds Anna straddling the line between techno and tech-h

Abhishek Jha a.k.a East Stepper is a New Delhi based music producer and multi-instrumentalist who's over his lengthy career dabbled with a diverse and varied platter of sounds, always with a quintessential Asian palette. Featured on regular BBC playlists compiled by the likes of DJ Nihal (BBC Radio 1 UK), Bobby Friction (BBC Asian Network) and many other radio stations around the world, he's slowly become recognised as an influencer and purveyor of a unique blend of ethnic Indian sounds, fused with the cutting edge production sensibilities of underground bass music. A name that you'll find pops up in most conversations (should you ever have had any) about Indian dubstep and drum and bass - someone who's helped push it on a global level. His strict motto of "create the music you perform” - as he puts it, is something he stands by to the fullest, only playing original material live. Mungeritek is also his progressive/techno project which has been praised by the likes of Cologne based Robert Babbicz. It doesn'

It was in the year 2006 that Top Billin Soundsystem first made themselves a household name in Helsinki with bootleg remixes, mixtapes and an ever-consistent monthly clubnight. That was just the beginning. The duo's first ever 12” EP, then ended up becaming the number one selling item at Turntablelab.com, favored by club DJ’s and party music lovers around the world. Fast forward to 2013 and that classic EP has been followed by more top selling releases as well as the evolution of Top Billin into a record label baosting a back-catalog of artists ranging from America to Chile, Russia, Japan and beyond. Besides running the record label and crafting forward thinking club tunes, Top Billin has become a well oiled party machine, rocking shows around the globe from Paris to Berlin, Moscow and New York, with the biggest names in the business and countless other club favorites. They even supported M.I.A. on one of her sought after tours. With roots deep in house, hip-hop, dancehall, funk and boogie, Top Billin like